2008: My Trenton Times "Sentimental Journey"

A number of people who are located in various places around the country have contacted me and said they have not been able to access my "Sentimental Journey" column on the Trenton Times website. In contacting the Times, I was told that they would check to see what the problem was and re-post my columns. I just checked, and my last column (Nov. 15) wherein I recall Canteen night at Hamilton High School has been posted. Here's the link.

http://www.nj.com/living/times/community/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1226725527182740.xml&coll=5

1916: A KUSER SCHOOL CHRISTMAS

Christmas was always a very special time when I was a student at Kuser. Those of us who were involved in music and dramatics were really immersed in a fascinating experience which extended from the first week of December or so with extensive practice, right up to the Christmas progam which we performed in the Kuser Auditorium. Those special memories are indelibly impressed in my aging mind.

2008: Kuser School Kindergarten Class

These incredibly delightful lads and lasses from the Kuser Kindergaten are performing for those of us whose privilege it was to be invited to Kuser's annual "Thanksgiving Feast," a delightful event which was under the direction of Ms. Julie Smith, Kuser Kindergarten teacher.

2008: Ms. Julie Smith

The lamp is still burning brightly over at Kuser School. Here's a photo Ms. Julie Smith, the charming Kindergarten teacher who along with Kuser Principal Roberto Kesting, invited me to their annual "Thanksgiving Feast." Julie is one of the many dedicated teachers at Kuser who realize the importance of the heritage of this legendary grammar school. In the spirit of former principal Emily Reynolds, the Kuser faculty stress the importance of a quality education. Further, the school stresses the importance of CHARACTER. Character has always been an important part of the Hamilton educational system. In high school, my music teacher, Louise Baird, suggested we boys memorize the following bit of wisdom:

"The true test of a man's character is what
he woud do if he knew he would never be found out."

WORDS TO LIVE BY!

1940'S: EMILY REYNOLDS

She was the most pleasant person one would ever want to meet. She was also the last person any Kuser Kat would want to encounter if and when he or she walked on the wrong side of the rules of her school. As I delve deep into my mental memory bank, I can still see her at a Friday afternoon assembly program reading from the Old Testament: "You shall be like a tree planted by still waters....." or "The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night..." I can also conjure up an image of her pulling up to the Mack home on Liberty St. and Newkirk avenue and pulling her big Buick into the Mack Bakery garage for another school day. Emily Reynolds was the consummate school principal.

1940'S: Miss Julia McLain

Julia McLain was probably the teacher who molded my very early school years with her hands on method of teaching. On the one hand, she was a very strict disciplinarian. On the other, she was always fair, but may the good Lord help you if you violated any of the rules of the school.

"Thomas, there will be no chewing gum in my classroom . You have earned yourself a special seat here at 3:30."
"Emily (Reynolds), Thomas has taken to throwing snowballs in the school yard. I suggest he should be removed from the school safety patrol." (He was)
"Class, sit up straight and keep your eyes on your own paper."
"Thomas, you have a natural knack for reading. Your elocution is excellent."

2008: "THANKSGIVING FEAST"

Herewith the wonderful ladies who were a large part of the successful November 26th "Thanksgiving Feast" provided by Ms. Julie Smith's Kindergarten class at Kuser School. On the far right is Mrs. Carol Bisanzio, Kuser Kindergarten Assistant. Unfortunately, I didn't receive an introduction to the other 3 ladies who have promised to send me their names so they can be identified. Ladies, the feast truly was a delicious repast. Thank you!

Melia said...

The woman all the way to the left is Bobbie Jo VanFleet.

1:59 PM

2008: THIS WAS KUSER ANNEX

There are many memories in the photo above. Were you to enter into the first entrance way on the left in the photo in 1947, you would be entering Jean Larzalere's 9th grade "General" class room. The next doorway was the entrance to Mrs. Veronica McLain Larkin's "Academic" class room. At the far end of the hall, around the corner to the left of the "Exit" sign one would find Lou Rader's "General Science" class room. Rader was also the Principal of Kuser Annex. To the right in that distant hallway, one would enter Dick Watson's "JBT" Junior Business Training class. Another misty water color memory of the way we were.

2008: THE OLD FASHIONED "BLACK BOARD"

The graphic above is really and appeal to the powers that be in the Hamilton Township school system to PLEASE realize the necessity of preserving whatever can be preserved in the vintage schools in Hamilton Township. The black board is as extinct as the equally extinct "cloak room." We must be sure to save as much of Hamilton's magnificent historic heritage as possible, and make sure these relics and memories thereof don't end up in the trash bin!

1981: Tom Glover's Kuser School Diary

Way back in 1981, before digital audio came to personal computing, I made an audio recording of my Mercer Messenger "Kuser School Diary" columns. This particular series was published on 8 consecutive Thursdays. Please remember that this was recorded on a reel to reel MONAURAL (not stereo) tape recorder, and the quality is a click or two below marginal. With my audio-converting software, I was able to convert "Kuser School Diary" from analog to a digital "mp3" file. Below is the link to that file.

WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO THE HOSTING WEBSITE. CLICK ON MY "KUSER SCHOOL MEMORIES" FILE AND DOWNLOAD IT. IT SHOULD LOAD AUTOMATICALLY INTO YOUR WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER.

http://www.speedyshare.com/555173553.html
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WERE ABLE TO PLAY THE FILE PLUS ANY OTHER COMMENTS. YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT I POST FUTURE AUDIO FILES.
( thomglo@verizon.net )

1946: Circa 1946 Julia McLain

Each of us had one or more teachers who had a great influence on us as we began the long journey into adulthood. I had a few. Louise Baird, Music, Margaret Gaydos, Shakespeare and things cultural, and the lady above, my 6th grade teacher at Kuser, Julia McLain, who taught me the sheer joys to be found in the printed page. Julia and Emily Reynolds were both Prussian type disciplinarians.

1930: Kuser School Red Cross Committee

This photo is quite misleading. Based on the brickwork in the background, it would appear that these Kuser students were posing along the wall of another school. The "two tone" brickwork certainlydoes not appear to be a Kuser wall. Perhaps their near by neighbor, Greenwood School?

1941: KUSER PTA ACTIVITIES

This little, seemingly insignificant article detailing the affairs of the Kuser PTA will be of interest only to those of us who recall Kuser School in the 30's and 40's. For me personally, Mrs. Jesse Anderson was the mother of one of my best friends, the late Jess Anderson, with whom I went through all my years at Kuser and on through Hamilton High as we both graduated from the class of 1951. Mrs. Lloyd Cherry was the Mom of Kuser student, Lloyd Cherry who I believe was in the class of 1945, but I am not sure. And of course, Mabel Carnall was my second grade teacher; one of a number of teachers who had snow white hair. Dr. Herman Cohen delivered all ot the Glover children. He was our family doctor and had two "Straight A"Kuser students, Barbara and Eleanor.

KAREN PETERSON BROWN, KUSER '47

What a joy it is, as I go through the pages of my newspaper collection, to find people with whom I have walked at some time during life's lengthy journey. I have been posting photos of World War II veterans who served valiantly during the years of "Greatest Generation." It is special when I find very close friends with whom I went to school. Thus it is with Karen, who spent all 12 years with me as we journeyed through the excellent Hamilton Township public school system. I was moved to write a short poem, along with Karen's photos and the results are depicted above. Love ya, Karen!